The Pain I Feel Inside
by DarkColdSummer
Summary: "Maybe taking me and ripping me to shreds is more merciful than letting me live." Storyline unclear to me as of now. Yes I know I'm writing it, but I'm letting me words flow and putting emotions into the story, not following a storyline. Yet. An AU, rated T 'cause I'm paranoid. Definitely Hurt/Comfort, can't be sure about Angst. Ships undetermined. Probably Amour though. ABANDONED
1. Prologue

Stars twinkle slightly and calmly in the sky. Trees wave and leaves rustle in the breeze. Starly chirp from wherever they hide and all the lights of the houses have long gone out.

The boy sits on the edge of the window, eyes closed. The slight night breeze ruffles his raven black hair. The long-sleeved black hoodie shields his face from prying eyes and keeps him warm, although he has another personal reason for the long sleeves. A frown remains etched onto the his face while he faces the scenery out of his bedroom window.

 **His name is Ash. Ash Ketchum.**

A few houses away, the girl climbs out of her bed, heading downstairs to the store room quietly. Her pastel green hair waves gently in as she treads lightly. After some searching, she finds what she was looking for and takes it, bringing it back into her room. A soft noise can be heard as the blade of the penknife she found is revealed, glinting dangerously.

 **Her name is Summer. Summer Emerald.**

Taking advantage of his sleeping partner, a yellow electric mouse Pokemon, he slides closer to the edge of the windowsill. However, the slight noise made alerted the Pikachu, his ears instantly jerking up and his head following soon after.

 **They are quite similar, in more ways than one.**

"Would anyone know? Would anyone care? They wouldn't notice. To hell with my title, the world is better off without me anyways," she mutters quietly to herself, taking care not to alert the blue penguin Pokemon still sleeping on the bed.

 **He is the current Kanto champion.**

"Pikapi!" The mouse Pokemon exclaims, leaping towards his trainer desperately. It definitely isn't the first time the boy had tried to do such a thing, but it definitely wouldn't be the last. Pikachu quickly unleashed a Thunder Wave attack, paralysing his trainer so he couldn't do anything stupid.

 **She is the current Sinnoh champion.**

She brought the knife down to her wrist and slowly pressed down, watching nervously as a drop of red liquid formed. Then, she hesitated slightly, voices running through her head. That was enough time for the Piplup to wake up and notice what her trainer was doing.

 **He is depressed.**

As the boy struggled to move off the edge, Pikachu had leapt towards a Pokeball, released the Pokemon inside of it and together, both of them dragged their trainer back into the room.

 **She is depressed too.**

With a frantic "Pip!", the Piplup leapt forward with a Drill Peck attack, knocking the penknife from her trainer's hands. That startled the girl enough to notice she no longer had the penknife in her hand.

 **He has dark secrets hidden about his past.**

"Pika pika chu!" Pikachu shouted softly at his trainer.

"Gren grenin!" The other Pokemon, a Greninja, joined in.

The boy didn't listen, merely letting his emotions flow. Tears trickled down his face as he sobbed into his palms.

"You know, I was thinking about _him_ ," he gasped slowly.

That shut the two Pokemon up as they looked sympathetically at him.

 **She has dark secrets hidden about her past too.**

"Why Aqua, why? You know better than anyone why I do this to myself!" She yells quietly, breathing deeply.

"Pip pip lup pip!" Her Piplup, Aqua, retorts.

"But... you've been with me all this time, surely you know what happened in my past?" She questions weakly.

Aqua remains silent, having nothing to say as memories run through her head, all anger for her trainer instantly reduced to pity.

 **Both their lives are an endless abyss of darkness.**

The Pikachu snaps up as he hears a Pokeball opening. Instantly, he goes into battle mode, staying alert for any intruders. There were none, however.

 **But maybe, someone can pull them out into the light.**

Aqua heads over to a Pokeball, tapping on the button in the centre. It snaps open and a flash of red energy reforms itself into a Roserade.

"Rose, ros-e-rade," She consoles her trainer while glancing worriedly at Aqua.

 **One day, at least.**


	2. Chapter 1

"Pikapi!"

The raven haired boy opened his eyes, looking around briefly before sitting up. He wasn't the slightest bit surprised he was sleeping on the floor even though he didn't remember the details of the previous night.

"Morning buddy," Ash pulls a slight smile at the electric mouse.

"Pi ka!" Pikachu smiles in return.

With that, Ash picked himself up and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

"Get up you lazy, good-for-nothing kid!" A female voice shouts sharply as she kicks the girl, who was sleeping on the floor, sharply in the stomach.

Summer wakes up with a gasp, slightly winded by the kick.

"What did I just-" The voice cuts itself off as Summer quickly gets up.

"Good morning Heather," she says, faking cheerfulness.

"Hurry up!" The voice, now revealed to be Heather, snapped.

Ash forced a slight smile onto his face as he walked out of the house, not eating breakfast. Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder and settled down for the short walk to the bus stop.

"Well buddy, first day of school. Let's try to enjoy it?" He joked. Pikachu, however, frowned. His trainer never enjoyed anything anymore, sadly. Not even battling!

"Just don't mention anything about me, other than maybe the fact that I'm your trainer. Not like other's would understand, but still..." He continued, not exactly noticing Pikachu wasn't paying attention. "Between you, Greninja, Sceptile, Charizard, Garchomp and Noivern, I'm not sure who to trust with doing so."

Summer sighed, walking to the bus stop with Aqua in her hand-made pouch. Aqua, Midnight, Rose, Bounce, Stars and Lightning were her set of six that she brought. Other than those, she had Lavender and Crystal.

Basically, Aqua is a Piplup, Midnight is a Misdreavus, Rose is a Roserade, Bounce is a Loppunny, Stars is a Staraptor, Lightning is a Parchirisu, Lavender is an Espeon and Crystal is a Gardevoir.

"Well girl, what do you think the first day of school will be like. Maybe... Hyper crazy? I seriously hope there are no fans," she smiled while stroking the top of Aqua's head before shuddering at the thought of that. "Fans are by far worse case although the most likely scenario. Although I must say, maybe taking me and ripping me to shreds is more merciful than letting me live."

"Ashy-boy!" Gary Oak yelled as the raven haired boy walked into range of the bus stop.

"Sum!" Dawn yelled at the same time as the pastel green haired girl walked closer.

Instantly, the both of them stopped, looking at each other.

"Who's Ashy-boy/Sum?" They asked each other simultaneously.

By that time, both people in concern had officially reached the bus stop but had not noticed them.

After some explanation, the misunderstanding was cleared up and it was confirmed that Ashy-boy was Ash Ketchum, champion of Kanto and Sum was Summer Emerald, Sinnoh's champion.

Boyfriend and girlfriend finally came to an agreement and turned to look for Ash and Summer, only to find that they were nowhere to be seen. Scratch that, the entire bus stop was devoid of people. The bus had already left. Sighing, the duo decides to ride their Pokemon to school, a Togekiss and a Pidgeot respectively. Actually, not like they have many choices unless they want to be late.

"OMA! Its the Kanto champion!"

"The Sinnoh one too!"

"What are they doing here in Kalos?"

"Do you think-"

Ash sighs and plugs his headphones in. Seriously? Can a boy not get a break from fans?

Pikachu jumps down from his perch on his trainer's shoulder and onto his lap, curling up into a ball. Instinctively, Ash starts to stroke his starter. Pikachu coos softly before falling asleep.

Summer, unknowingly seated next to Ash, leans back slightly, eyes close and only one side of the earpieces in.

So the Kanto champion is here too? That makes life more interesting.

"Where are they?"

"They're seated next to each other!"

"Do you think they're an item?"

She takes a deep breath. She is more than tempted to punch whoever suggested that in the face.

Turning around, she looks at the boy next to her. Messy raven black hair barely covered by the black hoodie, he looks as if he wants nothing more to do with the world, like her. Then, she looked at herself. A simple white dress that had rather short sleeves and a light blue cardigan with long sleeves. At least she looks less suicidal.

Taking another deep breath, she removes her earpieces and forces a smile. Reaching out to the boy, she taps him lightly on the shoulder.

He felt tapping on his shoulder. Okay, which fan now?

Opening his eyes and facing the person who tapped him, he took a quick examination of her. A white dress with a blue cardigan, pale yellow pouch with a Piplup inside and long pastel green hair with emerald eyes. Likely to be either a coordinator or a performer due to the unevolved Pokemon still in the cute stage.

"Yes?" He asked.

"I'm Summer Emerald, champion of Sinnoh, nice to meet you," the girl smiles.

Not a coordinator? Not a performer? A champion like him? The world is getting a little too messed up for his liking.

"I'm Ash Ketchum, champion of Kanto. Nice to meet you too!" He forces a smile and offers his hand.

They exchange handshakes and sit in silence for a while, unsure of what to say.

"Would you like a battle before school starts?" She asks out of the blue.

"Sure, why not?" He shrugs.

"Your best versus my best?" Summer suggests.

"I'm fine with that," he says calmly.

The conversation comes to a standstill again.


	3. Chapter 2

**Ash's POV**

I stand on one side of the field, face not betraying any emotions. My opponent, Summer, stands on the other side. Best versus best? Normally I'd say get ready to get wrecked but she's a champion too, so... I have no idea what to say actually. Maybe...

"I hope we can get to know each other better through this battle!" Summer calls from the opposite side of the battlefield. "Battles are the best way to find out more about a person after all!"

"Sure!" I yell back. "Good luck!"

"You too!"

"I'll be the referee," Gary steps forward, suggesting.

Wait. Where did he come from? When was he in this school? How blur can I get?

"Greninja, I choose you!" I shout, throwing my Pokeball.

It snaps open to reveal Greninja, by far my strongest Pokemon.

"Greninja!" It exclaims, going into battle stance instantly.

"Rose! Take the stage!" Summer smiles, tossing the Pokeball into the air.

With a burst of light and a shower of sparkles and leaves, a Roserade appears. Shower of sparkles and leaves?

"Roserade!"

"Oops! I must have forgotten to remove the seals after my last contest!" She laughs slightly.

So she is a coordinator! Now, why am I not surprised?

"Battle, begin!" Gary yells.

A crowd has already begun to form around the battlefield.

"Greninja! Aerial Ace!" I yell.

"Rose, Dazzling Gleam!" Summer counters quickly.

Roserade's body becomes surrounded in a rainbow colored shine. The shine then gets brighter and strikes Greninja, making it go flying backwards, landing in front of me.

"Greninja, are you alright?" I ask worriedly.

"Gren," Greninja nods and pulls itself up.

That's going to be problematic. Any close range attacks will be countered by Dazzling Gleam and Double Team will also be affected by it... How will she counter Water Shuriken though?

"Greninja, Water Shuriken!" I shout.

"Rose! Shadow Ball!" Summer screams.

Greninja forms two Water Shurikens and slaps them together, making one eight pointed one before throwing it. On the other side, a Shadow Ball is formed and shot off with insane speed. The two meet mid air and explode, allowing dust to block the vision of the field.

"Night Slash!" I exclaim.

Through the dust, I vaguely see a faint glow of black as Greninja darts off towards Roserade. Suddenly, the rainbow coloured light flashes again and sends Greninja back while clearing the dust, providing clear vision of the battlefield once more. Irritating Dazzling Gleam...

"Greninja!" I yell in fear. I'm being wrecked by a coordinator-champion! What am I supposed to do? Pull out my secret weapon? Actually, that sounds like a good idea.

"Are you still able to battle?" I ask, receiving a nod from Greninja. "Right. Stronger and stronger, let's GO!"

A burst of water shapes itself into a veil, engulfing Greninja.

The water veil moves from around its body to its back and forms an "X" shape, which resemble wings, then the wings form into a small sphere shape of water on the middle of its back with a light blue ring in the middle of it and it then grows in size until it forms into a giant shuriken made of water.

He takes on a form bearing similarities with me, from the spiky black hair to the red six pointed star on his head.

"How about this?" I ask Summer cockily.

She looks down, muttering something to herself amidst the cheering of the crowd. When she looks up again, she's smiling, not the slightest bit unnerved by Greninja's new form.

"I didn't know you could do that too!" She yells.

Too? If its in the same way I'm thinking, I'm screwed.

"Rose, are you willing to work with me to take the stage?" She asks, still maintaining the smile.

Roserade nods.

"Battle Bond, ACTIVATE!" She yells.

A swish of leaves surrounds Roserade. Moments later, she has changed. The normally fluffy white top of her head has turned a light shade of green, like Summer's hair. Her dark green mask has changed into a more intricate golden pattern. The leaves die down and compress into a shape of a big leaf which floats mid-air and Roserade steps upon before instantly going into battle stance.

Well, it was. Now, I'm screwed.

But, I can at least go down knowing I did damage to that Roserade.

"Greninja! Double Team then Aerial Ace!" I scream.

Sensing my urgency, Greninja duplicates itself before speeding forward instantly with all four limbs glowing white.

Smirking, Summer whispers something to her Roserade, causing her to nod before speeding off quickly. I never knew Roserades were fast...

Greninja chases after her, abandoning the Double Team for better concentration on Roserade.

"NOW!" Summer yells.

Rainbow coloured light happened. Need I say anything more? From now on, my most hated move is Dazzling Gleam.

Greninja collapses to the ground, reverting to his normal form, unconscious and I fall to the ground, breathing deeply as well. On the other side, Roserade reverts to her normal form as well, but neither Summer nor her Pokemon seem winded at the slightest least.

"Good battle," Summer smiles, offering a hand to help me up.

I accept it and reach for a Pokeball, returning Greninja before thanking it for the battle.

As much as I hate to admit it, I enjoyed this battle far more than I should have allowed myself to.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summer's POV**

I force the smile to remain on my face as I walk to the office to get my timetable with Ash. I swear, I hate being me. Forced to be someone I'm not, is that the definition of my life?

I really should have brought either Lavender or Crystal today. A Psychic-type would have been useful for teleporting. Alright! Note to self: replace one of my team with either Psychic-type tomorrow. Maybe Lightning with Crystal.

"I enjoyed our battle," Ash says, out of the blue.

"So did I," I reply instantly, before speaking again after a moment of hesitation. "You don't normally enjoy battling do you? Seeing that you're a champion, you probably enjoyed it some time ago, but for you to enjoy our battle is kind of surprising since it was just a plain battle."

"How did you know all that?" He asks, surprised.

"I infer. You're depressed aren't you?" I cut straight to the point.

"Am I that easy to read?" He asks, rubbing the back of his head.

"No."

"Good, how did you guess?"

"Your attire and a possible reason for not enjoying battling. One of the symptoms of depression is loss of interest in things that you normally enjoy doing."

It takes some time for this to sink into Ash.

"There's something not right here..." He mutters, looking at the ground before looking up again. "Are you too?"

"I'm not. What makes you think so?" I ask, faking shock.

"The amount of knowledge you have about depression and your smile, it's fake."

"... You got me there, I have nothing to say."

"You said something."

"Not the point here."

Despite myself, I can't help but let a small but genuine smile creep up my face. It feels... good to talk to someone who knows and understands what I'm going through.

* * *

"... Finally, here's your timetables," the Principal, Sycamore I think? Basically the professor of Kalos.

I take mine and look at it.

First lesson is Mathematics, second is Battling, third is Contests, fourth is History, fifth is Lunch, sixth is Art, seventh is Geography and last is Chemistry. Seems fine to me, then again, almost anything is fine with me.

"Oh cool. We have Battling and Art together," Ash blinks, looking over at my timetable.

Upon hearing that, I shrug and act nonchalant.

"I'll be heading to first lesson now, bye!" I smile and wave, closing the door behind me.

I swear I heard someone say "Women are weird" after that.

* * *

I walk through the empty corridors, trying to find my first lesson. Why is this school so big?

Room 231, 232... 237 is over there! Finally!

I pick up my pace, walking towards the room, hesitating before knocking on the door. The teacher signals for me to enter and I sense the entire classroom full of eyes turn to face me. Not the slightest bit unnerved by the attention, I walk straight to the teacher and explain that I'm the new student.

"Class, this is the new student. Please introduce yourself," he announces.

"Hi, I'm Summer Emerald. My favourite colour is green and my starter is Aqua, my Piplup. I enjoy battling and do coordinating for fun," I fake a smile and introduce myself.

"Good, now Summer, sit next to Serena over there, would you please?"

Still smiling, I make my way over to the honey blonde he was pointing to before settling down at the empty seat.

This lesson should be interesting. Math is always interesting.

* * *

Math. Is. So. Boring.

I'm half asleep, dozing off slightly. Falling asleep on your first lesson Summer, wonderful! Just wonderful! I applaud that!

"Summer! What are the possible values of x in this equation?" The teacher shouts.

All eyes instantly turn to me. Ignoring them, I look at the equation.

X2 + 3x + 2 = 0.

"x is either -1 or -2," I say after 2 seconds of calculation, before placing my head on the table again.

"That's right..." He stutters, before continuing to teach.

I smirk slightly, even though its hidden. Math isn't one of the subjects I'm best at for no good reason.

* * *

Battling! I swear, this is one subject impossible to be boring!

I rush to the field where me and Ash had our battle just now, spotting him chatting with a mahogany haired boy. Wasn't that our referee from just now? I smile slightly, letting Aqua out of the pouch and requesting for her to use Bubble Beam on Ash from where we're standing. Smirking, she release a flurry of bubbles, all of them hitting their mark.

I burst into a fit of laughter at Ash's shocked expression, along with Aqua.

"Why you!" He turns to us and yells, attracting the attention of the entire class.

Settling down on the floor, I smile and stick out my tongue at him.

"Although this girl is in her pre-evolution, it doesn't mean she's weak! In fact, she's my second strongest!" I smile, petting Aqua on her head.

"Pip- lup!" Aqua smlies, thumping her chest with her wing, calling for laughter from the class.

"Then let's have another one-on-one battle! My starter versus your starter!" He shouts.

I blink twice, as does Aqua. Really? Apparently, he's that stubborn even though I already beat his strongest by a far cry.

"Your wish," I shrug. "Besides, you're making an assumption that Aqua is my starter."

The other boy nudges him and whispers something in his ear, only to receive a zap of electricity from a Thunderbolt from the Pikachu on Ash's shoulder. Again, Aqua bursts into yet another fit of laughter.


	5. Chapter 4

**Ash's POV**

"I'll be the referee!" A blue-haired girl announces.

I nod while Summer smiles and yells something to the extent of, "Thanks Dawn!"

So that bluenette is Dawn? As in Gary's girlfriend Dawn? Interesting…

Isn't that…? Is that my old travelling companion Dawn?

"This will be a one on one battle between Summer and Ash. Trainers please send out your Pokemon!" Dawn announces.

"Pikachu, I choose you!" I exclaim, pointing in front of me.

"Aqua! Take the stage!" Summer shouts.

"So that Piplup IS her starter…" I mutter. "What was that argument about assumptions for then?"

"To unnerve you!" I receive a response from the other side of the field.

I stare blankly at her. I don't think I was that loud, was I?

"I have my ways," Summer chuckles before her expression darkens and her eyes get a glazed look. Then, blinking a few times, she clears up and smiles.

"Battle begin!" Dawn yells, bringing her hand down with a sharp swipe.

We both stand there, eyes narrowed, waiting for our opponent to make the first move. After some time, unable to take the pressure anymore, I shout the first move.

"Electro Ball!"

"Use Bubble Beam right in front of you then lead it towards Pikachu and take a step back!" Summer smiles in anticipation, eyes still narrowed.

I think for a few moments, watching the electricity divert into the puddle left behind by the Bubble Beam. She's a strong opponent alright, but we're strong too!

"Quick Attack!"

"Meet it head on with Drill Peck!"

A streak of white darts towards the center, while Piplup's beak glows white and it spins like a drill as it jumps at Pikachu, hitting him with her beak. A little "disagreement" bursts out between the two before Pikachu gets pushed back by the Drill Peck.

"Ice Beam!" Summer calls out. "Surf after that!"

I try to call out an attack to defend because attacking is the best defence, but a light blue streak of energy hits Pikachu, followed by a giant wave with that Piplup on top.

By the time the residual of the Surf fades away, Pikachu lies on the ground, unconsicious.

I walk over and pick Pikachu up, cradling him in my arms and thanking him for the battle. Then, I feel someone tapping my foot. Looking down, I see Piplup holding out an Oran berry and smile, accepting it before feeding it to Pikachu.

He stirs slightly, opening his eyes before cooing and jumping to his traditional spot on my shoulder. I look around for Summer, finding her seated on the ground in a very un-ladylike manner, staring at the ground while her Piplup stares at her and tries conversing with her.

I walk up to her and crouch down to her level, patting her back slightly. Her expression looks pained, like a bad memory was brought up against her will, which was probably what happened. Thinking about that, I am plunged into my memories, memories of the day when my life turned around.

 ** _Flashback (2 years ago- 14 years old)_**

 ** _Ash's POV_**

 _"Mom! I'm home!" I exclaim happily after returning from my journey through Kalos._

 _No response._

 _"Mom?" I ask, walking in tentatively._

 _Met with a sight that shocks me, I stand my ground, unable to say anything. My mom, Delia, sits there, held down by none other than my father Giovanni, with a gun pointed to her head. Her eyes glance at me, desperation in them. A hidden message is layered in it. Run. But I ignore it._

 _"I was wondering when you'd come," he smirks, forcing the gun closer to her head._

 _"What are you doing?!" I scream, preparing to make a run for mom._

 _"Watch your steps, one wrong move and she dies," he whispers threateningly. "Now, I'm sorry but I need to do this. You've been a threat to my organisation, (Remember Unova?) and I need to get rid of you, even if you're my son."_

 _He presses the trigger, resulting in a bang. Mom drops down into a pile, eyes devoid of anymore life. Then, he points it to me, Pikachu jumping in front of me protectively._

 _"Pika chu pika pika pi!" He yells, clearly upset._

 _A Pokeball on my belt bursts open, revealing Greninja._

 _"Grenin, nin ja!" Greninja frowns, crossing his arms._

 _"Oh, so you're so pathetic that you need your Pokemon to protect you?" Giovanni laughs._

 _I close my eyes, trying to block him out while controlling my emotions. However, anger takes control of me and a flash of blue light later, Giovanni lies on the ground, dead too._

 _Then, everything goes black._

 ** _Flashback end_**

After that, when I woke up, I was with Gary and Professor Oak in their lab. They saw the flash and pretty much understood the basics of what happened, especially with Giovanni known as the leader of Team Rocket and my track record against Team Rocket.

I couldn't take it and fell into depression, what do you expect? I caused the death of my last family, and there's nothing I can do about it now. I refused to do anything related to battling for a year and later prepared for the Indigo League again, becoming the champion of Kanto soon after.

I hide myself, I lie to myself, that I'm not depressed anymore but I know it's a lie, and a pathetic one at that. I say I'm alright, but I'm not.

For now, I pick myself up, sending Greninja and Sceptile out of their Pokeballs, telling them to help Summer to the nurse. I can only hope she'll be fine.


	6. Chapter 5

**_Flashback starts (6 years ago- 10 years old)_**

 ** _Summer's POV_**

 _A blur of silver slashes against me, drawing some blood and I grit my teeth in pain. Again? Really?_

 _As much as I wanted to retaliate, go all out against him, I know its my last day, I know I probably won't have to deal with all this again. That allows a smile to creep up my face._

 _"Why are you smiling you…" My father yells, landing a solid slap on my face._

 _Wincing, I look down._

 _Ever since mom left, life went downhill._

 _Maybe she was the only thing holding him together. Maybe I was the only thing that kept them together. Maybe life wasn't made for me._

 _Life. Such a strange enity, is it not? What is the point of life if we all die anyway?_

 _He hates me. I swear he does. He would very well kill me if not for mom. I'm more like her than he admits._

 _Another bout of searing pain surges through me. Like it or not… I'm leaving and never coming back_

 _~~~~~ **(The next morning)**_

 _"I would like the Piplup," I whisper, barely hearing myself._

 _Professor Rowan raises his eyebrows but doesn't question me, handing me Piplup's Pokeball along with another five empty ones and a Pokdex. He explains to me how to use it but I don't stick around to listen. I know how to, but I'd still stay if I could._

 _I'm running out of time._

 _~~~~~ **(2 years later- 12 years old)**_

 _"You can keep running, and I can keep seeking, but we don't want you to get too injured, do we?" A voice echoes through the forest._

 _I gulp, weaving my way through the trees in a fruitless effort to lose him._

 _A Golem appears out of nowhere and blocks my route. I narrow my eyes, fully aware of who it belongs to._

 _"There now! That wasn't too bad, was it?" He cackles._

 _I snap around, or attempt to, as a pair of blades grab me from behind. Inferring, I decide that its probably his Bisharp._

 _"You've chased me through hell and back, but I've answered and it WILL remain the same. Go to hell," I spit._

 _"Fiesty aren't you? I can just see the flame inside of you. That'll make it even more satisfying when I put it out."_

 _I struggled desperately, but I couldn't run, couldn't move._

 _Trapped._

 ** _Flashback End_**

I let the memory remain incomplete. What happened next was something I absolutely despised. Experiments. I was just another subject to test on. They thought I would die because of the tests performed on me, the abilities they forced me to have. It didn't matter. I survived anyway. Survivor? Not really…

Snapping my eyes open, I find myself in a whitewashed room. Blinking, I sit up, taking in my surroundings. I'm lying on a bed, with wires connected to me. Wires or tubes? I don't know, I'm not a doctor.

My vision is blurry, criss-crossing while I force myself to sit up and recollect what happened.

I was battling against Ash and had just won with Aqua against Pikachu… Then… Then what?

I rack my brain desperately for anything that happened after that.

Darkness.

Pain.

Memories.

I guess that pretty much sums it up.

I sigh. Darkness… It is a welcome guest, having helped me stay calm at times. Pain… A relief to save me from life. Memories… They don't help at all. They just, bring back pain from the past. Don't get me wrong, I did say pain is a relief, but reliving the same pain in the same situation? Tiring.

I reach out with my psychic senses, one of the abilities left from the experiments. Satisfied with my findings, I smirk slightly.

"Are you going to keep hiding or not? Don't try to take advantage of me while I can't move much," I say, targetting a certain boy in the corner of the room that I can't see.

He jerks out of his half dazed state and walks to my side upone hearing me speak.

"Are you okay?" Ash asks quickly.

"As good as I'll ever be," I reply airily, mentally rolling my eyes. What a stupid question to ask. Depressed people don't feel 'okay'. They feel terrible.

"Do you need me to call Nurse Joy?" He asks again before the door opens. "Never mind."

"I'm not a Pokemon…" I mutter under my breath.

"Hello! Are you feeling any better now, Summer?" Nurse Joy asks.

I simply force a smile and nod. I remember how much I hate doctors now. And nurses.

We hope to see you again.

Like, who asks someone to return to a hospital? That's just purely impolite.

"You have some other visitors," she continues, opening the door.

Wait who?

"Sum!" A voice exclaims.

No no no no no. It is not her, it is not her, it is not-

"Don't tell me you forgot me! I'm Dawn! You know that right?"

It is her.

Yay…

Of course it is.

"Hi Dawn," I smile weakly.

"Are you alright? Arceus damn it, stop remembering the past, its not healthy for you. Live in the present. Stop hurting yourself too…" Dawn rants.

"Dawn-" I sigh.

"You should really get a special someone in your life…"

"Dawn-"

"Maybe your opponent, Ash…"

"Dawn-"

"He's kinda cute you know..."

"Dawn-"

"Yes?"

"Dawn, in case you haven't realised, he's here right now!"

"Oh."

"Um… Hi Dawn. Long time no see?" Ash mutters, rubbing the back of his neck.

Bad thing to say for a first meeting in a few years…

Especially to Dawn.


End file.
